Chapter 530 – Sephirot’s Summons (1)

“Sister.”

Human psychology can warp at the slightest provocation. A single word, tossed carelessly by another, can sometimes be enough to flip one’s assessment of them. I had been let down by the very mastermind.

“…You’ve sustained significant injuries.”

She should have known that this was not the issue at hand.

In my current predicament, any worry expressed, regardless of its direction, could only be viewed as hypocrisy. I stared straight into the sage’s face, my eyes demanding an answer. Her gaze shifted, emotions morphing from worry to anxiety, then into a contorted form of affection.

“The wound has opened; we need to treat it immediately—”

Alba, who had closed the distance in a single stride, gently rebuffed the hand reaching out to her.

The sage’s eyes wavered slightly.

“That’s fine. Healing would be more effective.”
“But I can do it too.”
“Alba.”
“….”

It wasn’t an endearment. I had spoken her name with such an edge that Alba was compelled to fall silent.

I had bypassed my usual stop to meet Alba here. I was curious to see how she would react to my condition. I didn’t want to grow weary of her, not when my heart was already festering.

“I need to leave for today. I’m in a hurry.”

Alba seemed intent on concealing her plans from me.

I stood up and approached the sage. The lingering eye contact, the closing distance. Alba’s arms flinched, but I moved past her, heading straight for the door.

She caught my elbow.

“You…”
“That area hurts. It took a serious hit.”
“Ah—”

At my words, the sage released her grip, her concern intensifying at the sight of Alba’s complexion.

The most disconcerting aspect of this was the potential that these expressions were all feigned—a possibility that she was deliberately showing weakness to cloud my judgement.

‘Didn’t the emperor say that he shouldn’t accept anyone more clever than himself?’

Engahero’s advice, a counsel from my servant, gnawed at me particularly today. The current situation in which I couldn’t decipher Alba’s intentions was maddening.

‘I know.’

I knew that Alba’s actions mirrored my own.

‘Even so.’

A selfish decision had to be made. I was leading forces, with millions of lives hinging on my judgment. This was a moment to prioritize the collective over personal relationships.

Upon opening the door, I found Wiki, awake and observant at the doorstep.

“Daddy…”
“Yes, Wiki.”

I closed the door, knelt down, and embraced our daughter. As I comforted Wiki, who nestled her head affectionately into my chest, I repressed the welling desire within me.

I could have asked Wiki about the sage’s plans, to see if she had any insights. I wanted to, but I decided against it.

My child mustn’t become a means to an end.
From that moment, the trust between mother and daughter would begin to crumble.

“Dad, are you leaving?”
“I’m going for treatment.”
“Oh… Well, let’s hurry then!”
“You needn’t rush.”

Alba’s presence can be felt, leaning against the bedroom door.

“Dad, I hope you stay unharmed…”

Wiki speaks thus, her hands nervously intertwined, appearing quite adorable and endearing.

“Were you startled today?”
“Yes… I know you face arduous tasks, Dad. But… couldn’t I take your place? I’m confident I could handle it well.”
“No, it’s fine.”

Thinking it better to die myself than to see my parents perish, is a sentiment I understand well, having been someone’s child. However, as a parent, it’s a sentiment that’s hard to empathize with.

“……So, Dad, you see…”

A lingering speech from my young cub.
She hesitates adorably, her eyes blinking.

“Yes?”
“May I… kiss you?”

Giggling, I lower my head and Wiki, on her tiptoes, plants a kiss not on my cheek, but my lips.

Ah…

“Really! Oh! Why is our daughter so adorable?”
“Kyah, Dad! It tickles! Hehe.”

Enveloping her neck in a hug and peppering kisses on both cheeks, Wiki bursts into giggles.

An overwhelming wave of happiness. It was the moment when a terrible day transformed into an unexpectedly pleasant one. I held our lovely little cub close.

With all my might,

* * * * * * * * * *

The returned sway of the leaves brings silence to the room. From Hongyeon and Dongbaek to Mary, and even Gu-seul, were glaring at me, arms crossed.

“Did you go off on your own this time as well?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve come back like this?”

I nodded, seizing Healing’s wrist as she attempted to slide her hand into my trousers. Healing, lips pouting, had been deviously rubbing her chest against mine.

“Of course, what can we say when His Majesty himself takes action~ right? If you’re going to handle matters alone, you should at least avoid injury.”

Gu-seul, with her sarcastic tone, heaves a sigh.

“In the end, you’ve only done good for others.”
“It couldn’t be helped, the stars were in distress.”
“Your lover?”

Flinch-
The women recoil at the brutal choice of words from Gu-seul. A hint of color rises in Camellia’s cheeks, while Melia furrows her brows in irritation.

“I would’ve had to deal with him eventually.”

Breezing past that topic, Gu-seul leans on my shoulder and soon engulfs my head in a hug. Her underarm grazes my neck.

“If the president of the association is in such a state, he must be a madman. Did he push you right after you dealt with him?”

It’s not without reason that I’m deemed the devil of trials.

“Even that state wasn’t fully prepared.”
“……That seems a bit, like an overkill.”

“Is it truly how you perceived it? Do-won, you must have surpassed the threshold as well. Do you feel your strength dwindling?”

Following Gu-seul’s words, Hong-Yeon expressed her apprehension. Indeed. He’s not the kind to end things just there. Considering the number of powers he held, and their magnitude…. If one ponders over the might of typical powers.

“20 percent.”

Merely 20% of the original dimension. Considering the hidden strength there, it might even reach 10%.

“Are you serious?”
“It’s an exaggeration.”

Hong-Yeon and Gu-seul expressed their disapproval.

“What’s the discussion about?”

Mary doesn’t need to know. She just enjoys the rough tousling of her hair.

“It was because he was the one who ruled the world. There was a need to saddle him with the burden of a quick war and bring him to the brink of ruin.”

The King of Trees, with his power constrained, has a different pace of regaining vitality.

“Anyway.”

– Clap. Clap.

I clapped my hands, signalling the end of the meeting.

“Today’s discussion ends here, I am perfectly fine. Remain vigilant and prepared, ready to react immediately in case a war breaks out.”
“What will the devil of trials do?”
“Gu-seul and I will take responsibility for it. This time, considerable support is expected from the ATU. You all must pour your energy into the restoration of the land. Yeon will handle the defense.”
“Understood!”
“Camellia? How are things?”
“Much better. Ah, but… I think I might be able to get an eye transplant soon.”

Is it already that time?

“Congratulations.”

Upon hearing my sincere congratulations, Camellia hesitated.

“Um, will you have time that day?”
“Why?”
“Well, I’d like to see you.”
“I won’t be able to see.”

What can be seen is only the magical circuits or the spirits. And the unique aura of that person, formed by the concealment of magic, is all there is. Although it’s the highest level of mystic eyes, it can barely discern the form.

“That is… it doesn’t feel quite real.”

At Camellia’s hesitation, Gu-seul tapped my head.

“Ah~ so clueless. If you get eyes, they want to see your face first.”
“I’ve said, it’s not visible.”
“They want to see, even if it’s just the circuit. Ah, what’s the use of a handsome face if it’s so frustrating?”

I understand, but,
There are too many things to handle these days.

I used my stretched-out hand to pinch Gu-seul’s waist.

“Ouch!?”

Only Healing could see that scene, but he was distracted by my entire being, tasting every nook and cranny while treating me. After promising to set aside time just for that day, the meeting ended. No woman asked me for some personal time, probably because my injury didn’t seem severe.

Left alone with the secretary, Gu-seul, we continued our conversation in the meeting room. With a sigh, I leaned my head back against the chair, and Gu-seul extended something towards me.

“Here.”

A white pill and a bottle of water.

“Do you need it?”
“…Desperately.”

Snatching the bottle of medication from Gu-seul’s hand, she poured the pill into her mouth as if she were filling her hand. It was fiercely addictive, yet it was not a drug. If one were to describe it, it felt like brain nourishment.

“Are you worried?”
“About what?”
“About your girlfriends. And Shiba.”
“Certainly, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Then why not bring them here?”
“Have you lost your mind?”

Even though she was aware of the depths of despair I had plunged into, feigning death to escape.

“It would be challenging to immediately rescue them if they were in danger. Well, I heard even the chairman of the guild, a woman, was found in a comatose state.”
“That does seem likely.”
“Hey, remember our conversation from before? You said the moment to reveal the truth to your girlfriends would come when you had completely turned the tide in your favor. Has that moment arrived yet?”

Either the Flower or the World Tree. When I feel confident that I can triumph against either of these two powers.
Only then, when I am capable of bearing everyone’s life on my shoulders, will I consider it. Gu-seul was aware of this decision I had made for myself.

However,

The fact that I am still alive is as good as being exposed.
Now, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stick to my current circumstances.
Given this Sage’s incident, I intend to change my approach if at all possible.

That is, when I am absolutely certain of my course.

“Really? That is a relief, then.”
“Why are you worried? That’s not like you.”
“Hehe. Well, I am your assistant, after all.”

Gu-seul, who is playfully smiling, looks particularly lovely today.
Just like Alba, she is subtly deceptive, which usually keeps her out of my focus…

“Why, do I look pretty today?”
“A bit.”
“It must be a lot more than that. I’ve always been pretty.”

She playfully taps my shoulder with her hip.
While her attitude is despicable, I let it slide as I am exhausted today and have been placated by Wiki’s kiss.

My gaze shifts to Gu-seul, momentarily dazed due to the medication.
Gu-seul, blinking her eyes while vigilantly staying by my side with a slightly coy expression.

“What is it?”

Something feels subtly off.

-Slosh.

“…Huh! What?”

Slipping her hand through the gap in her clothing under her armpits, she delves under her bra to grope her supple breasts.
A faint sensation of returning libido.
As blood rushes to her lower abdomen, she immerses herself in this faint sensation.
The nature that had been tamed as soon as she acquired the crown. She grimaces, remembering the fragment of the crown tucked away in her pocket.

It seems that her sexual desire has resurfaced.

-Squeeze, slosh!

-Agh!

Applying pressure with her fingers, she grabs her breast, revealing her nipple through the split in her pink crevice.

“Oh… there is no crown. What could this mean?”

When she ceased speaking, Gu-seul laughed provocatively. There was satisfaction in that laughter.
She doesn’t feel sexual desire, but it seems like she feels gratification from somewhere else.

“Mmm…”

Gu-seul squirms briefly, soothing her goosebumps-ridden arm with her own.

“There’s something I didn’t mention, listen while touching your chest.”

Pinch, twist.
She teases her breasts, calming her sexual desire.

Perhaps it’s because it’s only a fragment of the crown, but for now, this alone seems to provide relief.

Automatically, my hand stirred, but I severed the attention I paid to it, focusing instead on Gu-seul’s words.

“A message arrived from the Sage.”

“The Sage?”

“Not the one you’re familiar with, the current Sage.”

Marronnier Blanche.

As my eyebrow arched in surprise, Gu-seul withdrew my phone from her hand and set it down. It’s typically a mode of contact under Gu-seul’s management, an artifact specially treated to remain unseen by any uninvited eyes.

“Pay her a visit. It might alleviate your headache.”

“Understood.”

Regardless of the intent, I found Marronnier much more reliable than the Sage. I agreed, took a seat, closed my eyes, and regulated my breathing.

– Dawdle.

My hand continued its motion.

“Recently… are you finding things difficult?”

In my suspicion of the Sage, I hadn’t noticed how lonely my body had become. Nonetheless, it was inevitable; I would have to confront the Sage sooner or later.